Invest in your business' future
We know that at least a third of our members are micro businesses. The accepted definition of this is businesses with fewer than 10 employees, however we know that many of our members have only one or two employees, which can leave them struggling to grow and expand their business.
Taking on new staff is always a concern for smaller businesses: how they can add value to the business as soon as possible, being a frequent challenge.
Our Specialist Applied-Skills Programmes (SAPs) are an ideal way to bring in a new employee, to benefit the business and the employee. Over the course of a year, our structured training programme which provides hands-on experience with their peers and a qualified trainer, leads to a NVQ Level 2 in either structural waterproofing or damp and timber.
We have designed the training programmes to include the training your employee will need in their first few weeks, including first aid, asbestos and working at heights. We have structured the programme into five, three-to-four-day blocks over the course of the year. Providing you with the dates well in advance means you can structure your workload around these learning periods.
Finding the right employee
Due to the size of our members' businesses, finding the right person to join your small team is incredibly important. Our list of options below includes some that will lead to funding and grants:
- Work experience is a compulsory part of the new Construction T-Level qualification which is available from many further education colleges. Speak to your local college and see whether you could offer some short-term work experience to see how well they fit within your team. Better still, for CITB-registered employers a £500 grant is available for each candidate who completes work experience with you and £1,000 is available if a work experience candidate stays with you as an employee for at least three months
- Talentview Construction is a great way to advertise your apprenticeship vacancies to a wider talent pool. The platform is supported by government and the construction industry, allowing you to reach a larger market than you may have previously
- Contact the CITB New Entrant Support Team, who will be able to talk you the options available and maximise the grant you are able to claim.
Funding
Most of our members are eligible to receive CITB funding and if this applies to you, there is a further £1,000 discount on this year’s SAPs. CITB has introduced additional funding to support employers supporting their team through a SAP. This funding is only available for one year and will only apply to this summer’s cohort.
The SAPs have been designed to make training the next generation as simple as possible.
And with the extra funding available, make this the year you commit to growing and future-proofing your business.